Formula One drivers from Ireland
 | |
| Drivers | 5 |
|---|---|
| Grands Prix | 81 |
| Entries | 93 |
| Starts | 67 |
| Best season finish | 12th (1980) |
| Wins | 0 |
| Podiums | 0 |
| Pole positions | 0 |
| Fastest laps | 0 |
| Points | 16 |
| First entry | 1950 British Grand Prix |
| Latest entry | 2003 Japanese Grand Prix |
| 2024 drivers | None |
There have been five Formula One drivers from the Republic of Ireland.[1][2]
Former drivers[edit]
Joe Kelly was Ireland's first F1 driver, racing in the first two World Championship British Grands Prix.[3] His privately entered Alta failed to be classified in either race.[3][4]
Having taken the 1977 British F3 title, Derek Daly was promoted to Hesketh Racing for what would be their final three Grands Prix, failing to qualify for any race.[5][6] He was quickly snapped up by Ensign for the rest of the season and took points in the final race of 1978.[6][7] The next four seasons saw sporadic stints with Ensign, Tyrrell, March, Theodore and Williams, with a best finish of 4th in the Argentine and British Grands Prix of the 1980 season.[6]
As runner-up of the 1979 British Formula One season, David Kennedy's prize was promotion to a World Championship Shadow seat for 1980.[8] However, the team was chronically underfunded and had a poorly engineered chassis and despite Theodore's intervention mid-season Kennedy only qualified for 1 of the 8 Grands Prix he was entered in – the Spanish Grand Prix, an event subsequently stripped of its World Championship status due to the FISA–FOCA war.[9][10]
Following Jan Lammers' quitting of the Theodore team in 1982, Tommy Byrne made his debut at the Austrian Grand Prix.[11] He entered the final five races of the season, qualifying twice but failing to finish either of the races he qualified for.[11]
Eddie Jordan, keen to promote an Irish driver, settled on 2002 Formula Nippon season champion Ralph Firman for his eponymous team's 2003 championship assault.[12] He raced in all but two Grands Prix that year, having injured himself in a practice crash in Hungary.[13][14][15] He scored a single point in Spain however his efforts were not enough to keep him a place on the grid for 2004.[16][17]
Timeline[edit]
| Drivers | Active Years | Entries | Wins | Podiums | Career Points | Poles | Fastest Laps | Championships |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Joe Kelly | 1950–1951 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | - |
| Derek Daly | 1978–1982 | 64 (49 starts) | 0 | 0 | 15 | 0 | 0 | - |
| David Kennedy | 1980 | 7 (0 starts) | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | - |
| Tommy Byrne | 1982 | 5 (2 starts) | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | - |
| Ralph Firman | 2003 | 15 (14 starts) | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | - |
| Source:[1] | ||||||||
References[edit]
- ^ a b "Irlande - Grands Prix started". StatsF1.com. Retrieved 30 January 2019.
- ^ "Irlande - Drivers". StatsF1.com. Retrieved 30 January 2019.
- ^ a b "Joe KELLY - Grands Prix started". StatsF1.com. Retrieved 31 January 2019.
- ^ "Drivers: Joe Kelly". Grandprix.com GP Encyclopedia. Retrieved 16 March 2008.
- ^ "Derek DALY". StatsF1.com (in French). Retrieved 5 February 2019.
- ^ a b c "Derek DALY - Involvement". StatsF1.com. Retrieved 5 February 2019.
- ^ "Derek DALY - Points". StatsF1.com. Retrieved 5 February 2019.
- ^ "David KENNEDY". StatsF1.com (in French). Retrieved 5 February 2019.
- ^ "David KENNEDY - Grands Prix not started". StatsF1.com. Retrieved 5 February 2019.
- ^ "David KENNEDY - Involvement Non World Championship". StatsF1.com. Retrieved 5 February 2019.
- ^ a b "Tommy BYRNE - Involvement". StatsF1.com. Retrieved 5 February 2019.
- ^ "Ralph FIRMAN". StatsF1.com (in French). Retrieved 5 February 2019.
- ^ "Ralph FIRMAN - Involvement". StatsF1.com. Retrieved 5 February 2019.
- ^ "2003". StatsF1.com. Retrieved 5 February 2019.
- ^ "Crash rules out Firman". www.telegraph.co.uk. 23 August 2003. Retrieved 5 February 2019.
- ^ "Ralph FIRMAN - Points". StatsF1.com. Retrieved 5 February 2019.
- ^ Henry, Alan (28 November 2003). "Jordan take up Heidfeld option". The Guardian. ISSN 0261-3077. Retrieved 5 February 2019.